The nuclear matrix elements of neutrinoless double-$beta$ decay for nuclei $^{76}$Ge, $^{82}$Se, $^{100}$Mo, $^{130}$Te, and $^{150}$Nd are studied within the triaxial projected shell model, which incorporates simultaneously the triaxial deformation and quasiparticle configuration mixing. The low-lying spectra and the $B(E2:0^+rightarrow2^+)$ values are reproduced well. The effects of the quasiparticles configuration mixing, the triaxial deformation, and the closure approximation on the nuclear matrix elements are studied in detail. For nuclei $^{76}$Ge, $^{82}$Se, $^{100}$Mo, $^{130}$Te, and $^{150}$Nd, the nuclear matrix elements are respectively reduced by the quasiparticle configuration mixing by 6%, 7%, 2%, 3%, and 4%, and enhanced by the odd-odd intermediate states by 7%, 4%, 11%, 20%, and 14%. Varying the triaxial deformation $gamma$ from $0^circ$ to $60^circ$ for the mother and daughter nuclei, the nuclear matrix elements change by 41%, 17%, 68%, 14%, and 511% respectively for $^{76}$Ge, $^{82}$Se, $^{100}$Mo, $^{130}$Te, and $^{150}$Nd, which indicates the importance of treating the triaxial deformation consistently in calculating the nuclear matrix elements.
We approach the calculation of the nuclear matrix element of the neutrinoless double-beta decay process, considering the light-neutrino-exchange channel, by way of the realistic shell model. To this end, we start from a realistic nucleon-nucleon potential and then derive the effective shell-model Hamiltonian and neutrinoless double-beta decay operator within the many-body perturbation theory. We focus on investigating the perturbative properties of the effective shell-model operator of such a decay process, aiming to establish the degree of reliability of our predictions. The contributions of the so-called short-range correlations and of the correction of Pauli-principle violations to the effective shell-model operator, the latter introduced in many-valence nucleon systems, are also taken into account. The subjects of our study are a few candidates to the neutrinoless double-beta decay detection, in a mass interval ranging from A=48 up to A=136, whose spin- and spin-isospin-dependent decay properties we have studied in previous works. Our results will be finally compared with shell-model calculations for the same set of nuclei.
Neutrinoless double beta decay searches are currently among the major foci of experimental physics. The observation of such a decay will have important implications in our understanding of the intrinsic nature of neutrinos and shed light on the limitations of the Standard Model. The rate of this process depends on both the unknown neutrino effective mass and the nuclear matrix element associated with the given neutrinoless double-beta decay transition. The latter can only be provided by theoretical calculations, hence the need of accurate theoretical predictions of the nuclear matrix element for the success of the experimental programs. This need drives the theoretical nuclear physics community to provide the most reliable calculations of the nuclear matrix elements. Among the various computational models adopted to solve the many-body nuclear problem, the shell model is widely considered as the basic framework of the microscopic description of the nucleus. Here, we review the most recent and advanced shell-model calculations of the nuclear matrix elements considering the light-neutrino-exchange channel for nuclei of experimental interest. We report the sensitivity of the theoretical calculations with respect to variations in the model spaces and the shell-model nuclear Hamiltonians.